Damian Lillard out indefinitely after DVT diagnosis
Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard has been ruled out due to deep vein thrombosis in his right calf, the team announced Tuesday.
Lillard had missed the Bucks’ last three games with a right calf strain, but doctors reportedly discovered the misplaced blood clot – commonly referred to as DVT – in the calf.
Lillard has since begun taking blood-thinning medication, and the clot has been dissolved, but the star point guard will require regular testing in the future.
“Damian’s health is our No. 1 priority,” Milwaukee general manager Jon Horst said in a statement. “We will support him as he moves through this weekly process of strict criteria to ensure that it is safe for him to return to play.
“Doctors have indicated that his situation is very unlikely to occur again. We are thankful that this was identified and medicated quickly, which helps with the recovery.”
The situation is similar to that of San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, who has been ruled out for the season after developing DVT in his shoulder.
If untreated, DVT is considered a serious medical condition due to the risk of a clot breaking free in the bloodstream, increasing the risk of a pulmonary embolism or stroke.
Blood-thinning medications are a reliable measure to prevent further rogue clots, but they carry an increased risk of bleeding and bruising, which can be a complicated trade-off for athletes.
Victor Wembanyama, Damian Lillard, and Ausar Thompson are the three latest examples where NBA players have suffered blood clots.
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) March 26, 2025
This is the most ever instances of this in a single season when spanning back the past 10 years of data. pic.twitter.com/BbRfCit2f2
While it remains unclear if Lillard will return to the court this season, the blow is a massive one to the Bucks, regardless.
Milwaukee entered Tuesday’s slate of games as the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference, chasing the Indiana Pacers for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Lillard’s second season with the Bucks was progressing better than his first, and he had enjoyed increases in points per game, assists per game, field goal percentage and 3-point percentage over last year’s numbers.
Milwaukee could open the post-season without a star player for the second straight season after Giannis Antetokounmpo missed last season’s first-round loss to the Indiana Pacers.
Lillard, who was voted to his 10th All-Star game last month, ranks 11th in the NBA this season in scoring at 24.9 points per game.